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Music of Latvia
Celtic fiddle and pipes, sean-nós singing, Nordic polska and Sámi joik, kulning herding calls, Baltic runo-song and kantele.
Sung and searched in Latvian. The YouTube button above can run your search in that language.
Roots and traditions
Classical music
Choir traditions are very strong in Latvia. Alongside many professional choirs, there are tens of thousands of Latvians who are part of different amateur choirs. Once every five years the Latvian National Song and Dance Festival takes place with around 20,000 singers taking part in it. The 2014 World Choir Games took place in Riga. This year (2019) Latvia hosts the inaugural Riga Jurmala Music Festival, a new festival in which world-famous orchestras and conductors perform across four weekends during the summer. The festival takes place at the Latvian National Opera, the Great Guild, and the Great and Small Halls of the Dzintari Concert Hall. This year features the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Russian National Orchestra. Internationally famous Latvian musicians include conductors Arvīds Jansons and his son Mariss Jansons, Andris Nelsons, violinist Gidon Kremer, cellist Mischa Maisky, and soprano Kristīne Opolais.
Popular music
Popular music
During the Soviet era, rock music became extremely popular, because it, as well as folk songs, offered a chance to rebel against the local authorities. Imants Kalniņš was the most important composer of the time, and his songs were extremely popular. He also wrote music for the movie "Four White Shirts", which spoke about the need for freedom and was therefore banned. One of the most important social gatherings of the time was the annual Imantdiena ('The Day of Imants (Kalniņš)'), forbidden on grounds of interfering with hay-gathering. The tradition continued informally at the composer's house. The songs of Imants Kalniņš were best known as performed by the group Menuets which only played songs by this composer. Most of the members of the group moved on to form another group, Pērkons ('Thunder') later. Pērkons was a symbol of rebellion. They played fascinating rock and roll bordering on hard rock music, composed by the band's frontman Juris Kulakovs, using poems mostly written by Māris Melgalvs.
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Radio from Latvia
Music only, no news or talk. Stations that play the local tradition come first, then the most listened. They play in the corner of the page.
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